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The 15 ultimate snow-proof cars

America’s ‘snowpocalyse’ may not yet have caused quite the end-of-days armageddon predicted across social media, but for those of us in the upper reaches of the northern hemisphere, this is snow season. Blizzards lurk round every corner, ready to bury you up to the neck in snow at the merest provocation.

And though we responsible citizens of course heed official warnings to avoid driving during a snowstorm, well, at some point you’re going to have to leave the toasty confines of your house/yurt/underground lair to stock up on spam and Top Gear-branded bubble bath.

So, in another deeply insightful and solicitous piece of consumer advice, here are fifteen of the finest blizzard-proof cars you can get your hands on…

Ken Block's 'RaptorTRAX'

It’s a 650bhp, 6.2-litre V8 Ford Raptor equipped with massive show-shifting tracks. There are also snowboard racks, a roof basket, a rear-mounted winch, interior storage for snacks and drinks, an exterior stereo setup for blasting music, and exterior-mounted lighting rig to blind the snow into submission. Oh, and best of all, a tailgate-mounted BBQ for toasting some tasty marshmallows.

Rebellion R2K

The Rebellion R2K is the brainchild of accomplished freeskier and ski racer Jon Olsson. It weighs just 1000kg, is powered by an Audi R8 V10 engine producing 600bhp, sounds superb and looks even better than it sounds.

You may’ve seen it on various Gumball 3000s (yeah, its road legal). But to prove it can do the business in the snow (and nothing at all to do with winning YouTube, of course), Jon decided to point it up a ski run and drift it up a snowy slope.

Peugeot 2008 DKR

But as Pug has a whole year to wait until having another crack at the Dakar, it may as well ship its 2008 racer off to the snowy US for more development work.

After all, with all the power from the mid-mounted 340bhp, V6 twin-turbodiesel engine going to the rear wheels, plus boulder-munching levels of suspension travel and trench-like tread in the tyres, the 2008 DKR should be a hell of a lot of fun, too.

Top Gear's Snowbine Harvester

A tried-and-tested success in the snow-shoveling world, our unique snowbine harvester - The Dominator - with its giant plough, flame-thrower (at Jeremy’s request) and an overly-powerful gritter has had New York Mayor Bill De Blasio reaching for a direct line to Top Gear’s prop department.

Lamborghini Nitro

Before Ferruccio Lamborghini had a spat over engine parts with Enzo Ferrari and turned his attention to ‘automobilis’, his bread and butter was agriculture. Most notably, tractors.

And for all of its lairy luminescent supercars, Lamborghini still makes tractors. Cool tractors at that.

This the ‘Nitro’, Lambo’s latest tractor and possibly the coolest farm runabout in the world. It’s got a very un-Lamborghini-like four-cylinder diesel engine throwing out an useful 354ft lb of torque. With this, CVT gearing and monster 650/60R-38 Michelin XeoBib rear tyres, this Lambo will crawl to a dizzying top speed of 26mph. And probably pull you out of any snowy mess yourself, your family or cows get in.

Icon Bronco

If you’re not willing to compromise on style when you’re fleeing for your life, the Icon Bronco’s a pleasing blend of modern off-road tech and retro styling. It is £114,000, mind. But you do get Learjet sun visors, which work just as well in snowy conditions.

Twisted Defender

Using custom ECUs and air filters you could fly a plane into, Twisted can build you a Defender with 250bhp and 494 torques. Roughly enough to drag you, your family, your house, and your local cathedral to safety.

Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6x6

Until a few months ago, the best chance you had of driving a 6x6 G Wagen was joining the Austrian army. But Mercedes kindly lined a few 6x6s with cow peelings, fitted them with 540bhp V8s, and popped them up for sale, €300,000 apiece. Its metre-deep wading ability and three axles laugh in the face of Storm Juno and her amber warnings.

Ghe-O Rescue

It’s a custom-built rescue truck suitable for transportation, medical support and fire extinguishing capabilities. Oh, and you can fit massive pillows to the wheels and drive it on water. Snow storm or not, we want.

Dartz Pombron

It weighs four tonnes, packs a 6.6-litre V8 GM diesel with roughly four million torques, and - as we discovered last year - flattens overweight tourists with dangerous ease. A dusting of snow should be no match. Nor should, say, a mild zombie apocalypse.

Bowler Wildcat

If you need to smash through fallen trees but don’t want to be late for lunch, this is your ticket. It’s faster than a DB7 to 60mph (4.8 seconds, fact fans), and also has an on-board water supply, just in case you get thirsty.

Toyota Hilux

Top Gear Hovervan

This is Hovervan, Top Gear’s almost-amphibious solution to the snow problem. It has the hardy shell and running gear of a Ford Transit, but in the back lurks a 2.4-litre V8 from a Radical track car powering a hovercraft fan. Why trudge through the snow when you can float straight over it?

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